Gordon S. Griffith (July 4, 1907 – October 12, 1958) was an American
assistant director
The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...
,
film producer
A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...
, and one of the first
child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...
s in the American movie industry. Griffith worked in the film industry for five decades, acting in over 60 films, and surviving the transition from
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
s to
talkies
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
—films with sound. During his acting career, he worked with
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
, and was the first actor to portray
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
on film.
Silent film
![Huckleberry Finn (1920) 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Huckleberry_Finn_%281920%29_1.jpg)
Griffith was born on July 4, 1907 in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, coordinates =
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, subdivision_name ...
, to actors Harry Sutherland Griffith and
Katherine Kiernan Griffith. He had two siblings, an older sister Gertrude, and a younger brother Graham—also an actor. Griffith was already an experienced actor when, at age seven, he got his first acting role as a regular character in the
Little Billy series of films.
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'.
Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...
of
Keystone Studios
Keystone Studios was an early film studio founded in Edendale, California (which is now a part of Echo Park) on July 4, 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from actor-writer Adam Kessel (1866–1946) and Charle ...
cast Griffith in many of his
slapstick
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...
features, where he eventually earned supporting roles in Charlie Chaplin films, including ''
Tillie's Punctured Romance'', in which he portrayed a
paperboy
A paperboy is someoneoften an older child or adolescentwho distributes printed newspapers to homes or offices on a regular route, usually by bicycle or automobile. In Western nations during the heyday of print newspapers during the early 20th ...
, a role that
Milton Berle
Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...
frequently claimed to have played.
His big break came with the role of young
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
, in the 1918 film ''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
''. He was required to do his own stunts, such as climbing trees, swinging from vines, and interacting closely with a
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
. Griffith performed much of this role
in the nude. Griffith appears before the actor portraying the adult Tarzan—
Elmo Lincoln
Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952 and ...
—making him the first actor to portray Tarzan in film. After seeing the movie, a critic described Griffith as "a youthful actor of uncommon gifts."
[''New York Times'' citing Hans J. Wollstein, Allmovie]
Griffith received the role of
Tom Sawyer
Thomas Sawyer () is the titular character of the Mark Twain novel ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876). He appears in three other novels by Twain: ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884), ''Tom Sawyer Abroad'' (1894), and ''Tom Sawyer, Dete ...
in ''
Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884). He is 12 ...
''. Later he was again cast in the first Tarzan serial as Tarzan's son, Korak, a role that has been described as "anticipating
John Sheffield's 'Boy' roles
n later Tarzan films" He continued to act in silent films well into his teen years, including a role as
Mary Pickford's older brother in
''Little Annie Rooney'' (1925).
Both of Griffth's parents died in the 1920s—his mother in 1921 and his father in 1926. At the time of the 1930 census, he and his brother were living with his sister and her family in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
I ...
.
ancestry.com
Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites.
In November 2018, ...
citing the 1930 United States Federal Census, Pasadena Los Angeles California; Roll: 169; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 1246; Image: 241.0.
Sound era
Although his career survived the transition from silent films to sound, Griffith received smaller and smaller roles—occasionally not even being credited for his performances. As his acting career cooled, Griffith moved into other areas of the film industry. At the age of twenty-three he got his first job as an assistant director. His final acting credit came six years later in 1936's ''
Outlaws of the Range
''Outlaws of the Range'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Albert Herman. The film is also known as ''The Call of Justice'' in the United Kingdom.
Plot summary
After rescuing Betty from a runaway horse, Steve (Bill Cody) is hired at ...
''. Griffith continued to work in the film industry until his death. Between 1931 and 1940, he worked as an assistant director in over 20 films, including those at
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...
.
Between 1941 and 1953 he was an associate producer or producer on four films. He was an associate producer under
Robert E. Sherwood
Robert Emmet Sherwood (April 4, 1896 – November 14, 1955) was an American playwright and screenwriter.
He is the author of '' Waterloo Bridge, Idiot's Delight, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Rebecca, There Shall Be No Night, The Best Years of Our ...
, and for
Gregory Ratoff
Gregory Ratoff (born Grigory Vasilyevich Ratner; russian: Григорий Васильевич Ратнер, tr. ; April 20, c. 1893 – December 14, 1960) was a Russian-born American film director, actor and producer. As an actor, he was bes ...
Productions. In 1941, Griffith became a production manager at
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, and later served as an associate producer for
RKO
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
.
In 1958, Griffith died of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
at the age of 51. He was survived by his sister.
Selected filmography as actor
*''
A Bath House Beauty'' (1914)
*''
Little Billy's Triumph'' (1914)
*''
Little Billy's Strategy'' (1914)
*''
Little Billy's City Cousin'' (1914)
*''
Chicken Chaser'' (1914)
*''
Those Country Kids'' (1914)
*''
Tillie's Punctured Romance'' (1914) as Paperboy (uncredited)
*''
Kid Auto Races at Venice'' (1914)
*''
Little Sunset
''Little Sunset'' is a 1915 American comedy silent film directed by Hobart Bosworth and written by Charles Emmett Van Loan. The film stars Hobart Bosworth, Gordon Griffith, Rhea Haines, Joe Ray and Marshall Stedman. The film was released on May ...
'' (1915)
*''
Billy's Cupidity'' (1915)
*''
If My Country Should Call
''If My Country Should Call'' is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Jack Nelson and Dorothy Phillips. The film was written by Ida May Park, based on a story by Virginia Terhune Van de Water. The film's t ...
'' (1916)
* ''
Naked Hearts'' (1916)
* ''
Two Mothers'' (1916)
*''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'' (1918)
*''
The Romance of Tarzan
''The Romance of Tarzan'' is a 1918 American silent action adventure film directed by Wilfred Lucas starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, Thomas Jefferson, and Cleo Madison. The movie was the second Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar R ...
'' (1918)
* ''
Hitting the High Spots
''Hitting the High Spots'' is a 1918 American silent comedy-drama film, directed by Charles Swickard. It stars Bert Lytell, Eileen Percy, and Winter Hall, and was released on December 9, 1918.
Cast list
*Bert Lytell as Bob Durland
*Eileen Percy ...
'' (1918)
*''
Cupid Forecloses
''Cupid Forecloses'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film starring Bessie Love and Wallace MacDonald. It was directed by David Smith and produced by Vitagraph Studios. It was based on the popular novel ''Hurrying Fate and Geraldine'' by Flo ...
'' (1919)
*''
The Son of Tarzan
''The Son of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was written between January 21 and May 11, 1915, and first published in the magazine ' ...
'' (1920)
*''
Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884). He is 12 ...
'' (1920)
* ''
The Kentucky Colonel
''The Kentucky Colonel'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Joseph J. Dowling, Frederick Vroom and Elinor Field based on the 1890 best-selling book ''A Kentucky Colonel'' by Opie Read.Singer p.390
...
'' (1920)
* ''
The Adventures of Tarzan
''The Adventures of Tarzan'' (1921) is a 15 chapter movie serial which features the third and final appearance of Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan. The serial was produced by Louis Weiss, written by Robert F. Hill and Lillian Valentine (partially b ...
'' (1921)
* ''
Cameron of the Royal Mounted
''Cameron of the Royal Mounted'' is a 1921 Canadian silent action film directed by Henry MacRae and starring Gaston Glass, Irving Cummings and Vivienne Osborne.Langman p.531 Part of the tradition of Northerns, it is based on the story ''Corporal ...
'' (1921)
*''
Penrod'' (1922)
*''
More to Be Pitied Than Scorned
''More to Be Pitied Than Scorned'' is a lost 1922 silent film melodrama starring Alice Lake and Rosemary Theby. It was directed by Edward LeSaint and produced by Harry Cohn.The Village Blacksmith
"The Village Blacksmith" is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in 1840. The poem describes a local blacksmith and his daily life. The blacksmith serves as a role model who balances his job with the role he plays with his family ...
'' (1922)
*''
Main Street'' (1923)
* ''
The Street of Tears'' (1924)
*''
Little Annie Rooney
''Little Annie Rooney'' is a comic strip about a young orphaned girl who traveled about with her dog, Zero.
King Features Syndicate launched the strip on January 10, 1927, not long after it was apparent that the Chicago Tribune Syndicate had ...
'' (1925)
*''
The Cat's Pajamas
''The Cat's Pajamas'' is a 1926 American comedy silent film directed by William A. Wellman and written by Louis D. Lighton, Hope Loring and Ernest Vajda. The film stars Betty Bronson, Ricardo Cortez, Arlette Marchal, Theodore Roberts, Gordon ...
'' (1926)
* ''
The Branded Man'' (1928)
* ''
Forgotten Women'' (1931)
*''
Danger Ahead'' (1935)
*''
Bars of Hate
''Bars of Hate'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by Albert Herman.
Cast
* Regis Toomey as Ted Clark
* Sheila Terry as Ann Dawson
* Molly O'Day as Gertie
* Snub Pollard as Danny, the Pickpocket
* Robert Warwick as The Governor
* Fuzzy ...
'' (1935)
*''
Gun Play
''Gun Play'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and starring Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Marion Shilling and Frank Yaconelli.Pitts, p. 53.
Plot summary
Cast
* Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as Bill Williams
* Marion Shilling ...
'' (1935)
*''
Speed Limited'' (1935)
*''
Hot Off the Press
''Hot Off the Press'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Albert Herman. It was the second of eight adaptations of Peter B. Kyne stories.
Plot
Bill Jeffry is a reporter who leaves ''The Evening Call'' in favor of rival Star Bulletin. W ...
'' (1935)
*''
Blazing Justice
''Blazing Justice'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Albert Herman.
Plot
In a saloon, Ray Healy witnesses three outlaws kill a sheriff, Ray subdues two of them, but one named Max gets away. During the pursuit Max manages to bludgeo ...
'' (1936)
*''
Outlaws of the Range
''Outlaws of the Range'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Albert Herman. The film is also known as ''The Call of Justice'' in the United Kingdom.
Plot summary
After rescuing Betty from a runaway horse, Steve (Bill Cody) is hired at ...
'' (1936)
References
Bibliography
* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 30–32.
External links
*
*
Picture of Gordon Griffith without heavy makeup in the Young Hollywood Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffith, Gordon
1907 births
1958 deaths
Male actors from Chicago
American male child actors
American male film actors
Film producers from Illinois
American male silent film actors
20th-century American male actors